ThinkCircularity: Closing the loop on plastic waste

Alfa Laval has launched ThinkCircularity, a take-back programme that recycles materials from its ThinkTop valve control units. The company says that the pilot project has been well received by customers and partners, and it has already received its first returned products for recycling. 

Commenting on the launch of the ThinkCircularlty programme, Inger Bygum, Head of Sustainability at Alfa Laval Hygienic Fluid Handling and Heat Transfer Technologies, said: “Circular thinking is not just a buzzword for us – it is a responsibility. With ThinkCircularity, we ensure that materials from old ThinkTops can be reused, recycled or disposed of in the most responsible and value-creating manner.”

ThinkCircularity initially focuses on plastic recycling. Each ThinkTop contains 500g of plastic, and the pilot project has demonstrated that this material can be recycled to produce new units without compromising quality. Tests confirm that the mix of reused and virgin plastic in future units meets all performance standards – from tensile strength to durability. 

Furthermore, other materials and components from the ThinkTops – such as valuable metals and electronics – are also responsibly recycled. 

In food, dairy and pharma industries, there is an ongoing focus on process optimisation and resource savings and by upgrading existing ThinkTop control units, end-users can save 90% on water and energy used for cleaning-in-place. In Norway, Skala, an Alfa Laval Master Distributor that specialises in servicing hygienic industries, recently introduced the ThinkCircularity take-back scheme to its customers and has already sent back several hundred units.

“Our customers care about water and energy efficiency – and sustainability,” said Owe Barsten, Responsible Manager at Skala Components. “Upgrades mean that older units are scrapped, but now we can offer a truly circular solution where old ThinkTops give life to the next generation.” 
 
With Alfa Laval already focused on designing products for durability, high efficiency and a long lifetime, ThinkCircularity closes the loop by offering an end-of-life solution that ensures that old products can be scrapped responsibly and new products in the future can be made from recycled plastic. 
“Recycling plastic from old ThinkTops is just a small drop in a vast ocean of circular opportunities,” added Inger. “Still, this pilot project is important to us and has taught us valuable lessons that will help us develop new business models, partnerships and methods to scale reuse and recycling.”  

So far, the ThinkCircularity initiative has been launched in selected European countries.

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